A cobbler, through no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left to make shoes with except one piece of leather. He cut it our and found it would make just one pair; then he went to bed and said his prayers, and because he had a good conscience, slept soundly.
In the morning, when he had and washed and dressed, he went to his table and prepared to work at his shoes, when, to his astonishment, he found them already made. He could not understand at all how it had happened. He took the shoes in his hand and examined them. They were so carefully made that there was not a stitch in the wrong place-they were, in fact, models of good workmanship.
A few minutes later a customer came in and was so pleased with the shoes that he paid more than the usual price for them, so that the cobbler mow had enough money to buy leather for four more pairs.
Early the next morning he found the four pairs finished; and so it went on, whatever he cut out overnight was made up by the morning, till in time his business became so prosperous that he was a well-to-do man.
Now it happened one evening, not long before Christmas, that the cobbler said to his wife before going to bed, " Suppose we sit up tonight in order to see whose are the hands that have helped us so much." The wife agreed and lit a candle; then they hid in a corner of the room behind some garments that were hung there, and watched. As midnight struck two naked little men came in and sat at the cobbler's table. They at once took hold of the work which had been cut out, and with their tiny fingers began sewing, stitching, and hammering, so that the cobbler, full of admiration, could not take his eyes from them. They did not leave off till they had finished the work, when they put everything in order and hurried away.
The next morning the cobbler's wife said, " The little men have made us rich; we must give them some proof our gratitude. Running about at night as they do, they must be frozen without any clothes. I tell you coat, and trousers, and knit them a pair of stockings, and you shall make them a pair of shoes.
Her husband approved the plan, and in the evening, when the clothing was ready, they placed their present, instead of the cut-out leather, on the table, and then concealed themselves, to see what the little man would say.
At midnight the little men hopped in and were going to set to work at once, but not finding the leather and only the charming little suits of clothes, they showed signs of the greatest delight. Quick as lightning, they put the things on and sang:
" So decent and smart are we,we no more need cobblers be."
And they jumped and danced about over the chairs and tables. At last they danced out at the door, and from that day they never came again, but the cobbler remained well-off, and everything he undertook prospered.